In one of the many moments of excitement this MLB season, a fan holds up Toronto Blue Jays' Kevin Pillar's bat after Pillar lost his grip and it flew into the stands in a game against the Boston Red Sox. The announcement of the MLB's preliminary 2016 schedule gives many fans something to look forward to as the 2015 season ends. (AP)

As playoffs draw near, it is an exciting time of year for baseball fans. In some ways, it is also sad. With playoffs comes the World Series followed by the end to the baseball season. For fans of non-playoff teams this is a depressing time when we countdown the days until teams travel South for the preseason.

If you are sad about the end of the 162-game season, don’t worry; the MLB just released the 2016 season schedule so you can get excited for next year. While the schedule is preliminary, this news is good for fans that know this season is virtually over for their beloved teams. Sorry Detroit and Cincinnati fans.

The season opens on April 3 with a night game. Apr. 4 is the official opening day. 26 out of 30 teams will open on the fourth. That also means four teams get left out of opening day fun.

The Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins and Chicago Cubs will open their seasons on the fifth and the following day all teams will play.

Next season will mark the twentieth year of interleague play; AL East vs. NL West, AL Central vs. NL East, AL West vs. NL Central. Every MLB team will have played in every MLB city when the Blue Jays host the San Diego Padres.

Other anniversaries include 30 years since the Mets most recent World Series title. Next season will also be the Braves final games played at Turner Field. The 19 year-old park will be torn down following the 2016 season, and the Braves will start their 2017 season at SunTrust Park.

Though predictions are hard to make on a month-to-month basis, analysts have already begun to dissect the 2016 schedule. Mike Axisa of CBS Sports looked at the final series matchups for next year and made a note that the Red Sox vs. Blue Jays, Orioles vs. Yankees and Dodgers vs. Giants could all be influential series for the playoffs.

More dates to remember include the All Star game on July 12 (played in San Diego). The season ends in early October, so baseball season could stretch into early November.

If you’re eager for this season to be over, don’t worry: only 206 days until the 2016 season begins. On the other hand, less than a month till postseason baseball!